Knaresborough nursery acquired by Kids Planet

A nursery group with a setting in Knaresborough has been acquired by north-west operator Kids Planet.

Twinkles Nursery Group, founded in 2003, has sites in Knaresborough, Leeds city centre, Wetherby, and Boston Spa. All are rated ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted.

Kids Planet acquired Bradford-based nursery Kinder Heaven in 2021.

Jill Smith, managing director at Twinkles Nursery Group, said:

“It has been an honour to serve all our wonderful families and to work alongside such a dedicated and super talented team over the years, and I feel now is a good time to step back and take some time to decide what comes next.”

Flaxby modular housebuilder features in 153-home deal

Flaxby-based modular housebuilder ilke Homes, in partnership with Gresham House and agent SO Resi will install a factory-built home on a site in Stanford-le-Hope, Essex as part of a wider 153-home scheme.

Ilke claimed the two-storey family home, which will be sold under a shared ownership scheme, is the UK’s first home to guarantee zero-energy bills.

Gresham House will install low-carbon technologies such as solar panels and an air source heat pump, which provides all heating and hot water. Battery technology will be installed to store energy.

Giles Carter, chief executive at ilke Homes, said:

“The cost of living crisis is here and now. Since the turn of the century, UK households have become overly reliant on gas imports, leaving consumers at risk from rising wholesale gas prices.

“Thanks to advances in manufacturing, materials, and renewable energy, we have created homes that not only drastically reduce household bills but also give consumers greater control over their own energy usage.”

Value of farm shops revealed

The Farm Retail Association, which is based at the Great Yorkshire Showground, has released new research that shows Britain’s farm shops generate £1.4 billion in sales nationally and employ 25,000 workers.

The findings, released in conjunction with Harper Adams University, were part of its biggest research project to date. They were announced at the annual Farm Retail Association Conference on Wednesday.

The study found that there are an estimated 1,581 farm retailers nationally, employing 25,000 people, with sales totalling £1.4 billion. Some 64% of farm shops expect sales to increase further in 2022 and a third of all farm shops have opened in the last 10 years.

New FRA chairman Rupert Evans said:

“This was the biggest research project that the FRA has ever undertaken and the results show the vital part that farm retailers play in the community as well as on a national scale.

Alastair Boot (left), senior lecturer in food retail and marketing and Rupert Evans, FRA chair and 

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Plans for a five-acre solar panel farm in Harrogate have attracted concern from the aviation industry that it could dazzle pilots flying to and from Leeds Bradford Airport.

Yorkshire Water has submitted initial plans to Harrogate Borough Council to erect panels at its Bachelor Gardens sewage works in Bilton.

George Graham, airside operations unit supervisor at Leeds Bradford Airport, said in a written consultation response on behalf of the airport it would like to review the scheme against aviation safeguarding criteria. He added:

“Specifically we’d review the application with a view to understanding the potential glint and glare risk and its impact on aviation activity.

“Harrogate is a published visual reference point for aircraft operating into and out of Leeds Bradford Airport using ‘out of the window’ navigation and as such we’d like to safeguard against any potential threat to airline safety.”

Mr Graham added the airline would need to conduct an initial review before deciding if a formal glint, glare assessment was necessary.

Read more:

• Harrogate villages ‘could come off grid’ in green vision
• Harrogate Climate Coalition faces fresh criticism

Yorkshire Water, which is the second largest landowner in the county, plans to develop energy at 150 of its sites as part of its bid to become carbon net zero by 2030.

A spokesman for the company said the sewage farm would continue to operate alongside the solar panels.

Yorkshire Water has applied to the council for an environmental impact assessment screening opinion to determine whether the project would be likely to have significant effects on the environment. It has yet to submit formal a formal planning application.

A spokesman said:

“Many of Yorkshire Water’s treatment works include land that could be used for different purposes, such as ground mounted solar arrays.

“These allow us to maximise the value of otherwise un-used land, while providing renewable energy to offset the consumption of existing on-site assets.”